NO MORE EXCUSES
Boss Ten Hag says £86m flop Antony must dig deep to save United career
ERIK TEN HAG has backed £86million flop Antony to prove his worth – but warned the winger that only HE can save his Manchester United career.
Antony has started just one of United’s last eight games and was overlooked in favour of 19-year-old Omari Forson, who started ahead of him in Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Fulham.
The Brazil winger, who has failed to score or register an assist in 20 Premier League appearances this season, came off the bench in the 99th minute at Old Trafford, with just seconds remaining.
He is expected to remain on the bench for tonight’s FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest, a measure of his spectacular fall from grace since becoming the second most expensive signing in United’s history.
Only last month, Ten Hag claimed Antony’s form had deserted him as he defended himself against allegations of domestic abuse, which the player has always denied.
Those accusations led to Antony being dropped by Brazil back in September, with United granting the 24-year-old a leave of absence to return home in a bid to clear his name.
But Ten Hag said that distraction can no longer explain Antony’s loss of form and has challenged the misfit to show the form that made United pay Ajax such a hefty fee for him.
“I backed him for a long time,” Ten Hag said. “I know his abilities, great abilities. I know from the past he’s unstoppable.
“No defender can stop him – because he’s one of the quickest in the first 10 yards. When he plays that game, I’m sure he will perform.
“He’s resilient, he is a character and he will fight back and I back him and he now has to wait for his chance and once he is there he has to pick up.”
Asked whether the off-field allegations against Antony were still a factor in his poor form, Ten Hag said: “Not any more.
“After the first games, when that issue was in Brazil and he came back, he wasn’t the person like he was before. That did something with his belief.
“Now he’s left this behind, but for a moment in the season it had an impact on him.
“You could see that in his performance and in his attitude, but now he’s back.
“It affected him and the process is still going, but now he has to bring his big potential in again.
“You have to fight and have to give every day the maximum. I see that in the training he’s doing and he will turn the corner.
“One of the big skills of Anthony is that he’s very brave, so he has to get that back. It’s up to him. We will support him – all the staff and me as manager.”